Siren's Call
by Rose of the Nile
Summary: Edward is a pirate and he's not afraid to flaunt it. But after an encounter with two beautiful "Dancers" that leaves him penniless, he finds himself involved with things he never imagined. He is drawn into an ancient battle between Templars and Assassins with an unlikely and unwilling ally in Mary. Can the two survive? Do they want to? MaryxEdward. Alternate Universe Warning!
1. A Man's Needs

**I.  
****A Man's Needs**

"_And I thought I heard the old man say,  
_'_Leave her Johnny, leave her!'"_

Edward listened to others in the crew, their deep voices combining into something fairly pleasant to listen to. Some of the voices were accented, French, Spanish, English, Welsh and even some he couldn't even place. He knew the song, having joined in sometimes when his mood was good. For now he was too focused on the work he was doing and while he listened, he didn't join. Or he had been focused on his work, but the sound of footsteps approaching had him looking up. There before him stood the Captain of their ship, Edward Thatch.

"How do you find yourself, lad?" He asked. It had been around a month since he had joined Thatch's crew. Life had improved for him greatly since he had. The last captain he had served under had been terribly cruel and then there had been that one man who had only wanted to skin him while he were still alive. He hadn't even understood why the man hated him other than the man loved to hate.

"Very well, Captain Thatch" he said, straightening.

"We'll be coming into Nassau soon" he commented, looking out to the sea. They were still in open water. The only land to be seen were small, uncharted islanded that dotted the sea.

Right now, Thatch was very calm, but what Edward liked about him was the fact that he could be calm one moment and the next his temper could be raining down upon the enemy. He wore his heart on his sleeve and while he was strange, he was a accomplish captain.

"Will we? How soon?" Asked Edward, figuring that if Thatch had not wanted him to ask, he would have not put the statement out there.

"Tomorrow night probably. We're meeting Benjamin Hornigold there" He scratched at the fuzz on his face. He grew it out a little sometimes, but he tried to keep it shaved. The task bored him though, and he had admitted as much. Edward preferred to keep his face shaved though, finding it easier to manage.

"Your mentor?"

"Ah, I forget, you haven't met him yet, have you lad?" He slapped Edward on his back, giving him a grin. "It'll be an experience for you then. Ben's an old salt, but he's one of the damn best sailors on the seas. He had been loyal to our Good Queen Anne as well." There was a wistfulness in his voice. Thatch had taken pride in serving as a Privateer for Queen Anne, but now with the war over…well there no longer was a reason for Privateers. That was why they were going to meet Ben. To talk what to do next, over a few cups of rum that was.

"We can still say we're loyal to her. We haven't taken a ship yet" Edward gave him a small smile.

"There's to hopefulness, lad, but I fear that we might not be protected by our good Queen's crown much longer. Soon, we're going to be pirates in earnest." He walked away to sit on a crate. A man passed, with a bottle of rum in his hand and Thatch snatched it from him, taking a long drink. "I fear, we'll soon be hunted by the crown we once protected."

A few other men were listening now, looking at Edward. A few would be leaving them when they hit Nassau. A few others would be staying at Nassau to see how things went down. Edward would be staying with Thatch of course. It wasn't like he owed the man or anything, but he did enjoy learning from him. He had already taught him so much about sword fighting and navigating and other important things for a sailor to know.

Thatch looked up at the men around him, many who had paused to look at their captain. "So, with that thought in mind, how many of you are still staying?" His dark eyes cast over the crew and he tapped the nearly empty bottle on the crate gently as he waited. He let out a short chuckle. "It don't matter either way. No one is going for a swim if they speak out against me. Not anymore." He stood, setting the bottle on the crate. He paced now, his crew watching him with wary eyes. "I'd like to think we've become a great nation on this ship. Sure, some of you are a bit rough around the edges, but what sailor, ain't? A few of you, too many of you, will be leaving once we drop anchor and if anymore have come around to that ideal, I ask you be honest with yourself and with me. I've been your Captain for various amounts of time and I'd like to think that I've been fair. So do a kindness in return and if you see yourself setting sail on another ship, have the decency to tell me"

Edward felt a small smile twisting his lips, knowing that while Thatch was being honest in his words, he would allow anyone who wanted to walk to walk, he was also show his kind heart and that would keep many men who were thinking of leaving with him. The life of a Privateer – or pirate – was not long, ever. Best to keep as many men who already knew what they were doing as they could, it would make things so much easier in the long run.

Thatch walked away then, hands still on his hip, as if he were still in deep thought. Edward knew better though and he felt that same smile twisting his lips. Ah, Thatch was a mad man, but he was smarter than most could hope to ever be.

* * *

The next night, as promised, they docked in Nassau. This Edward's first trip the Pirate Republic as well and he couldn't help but gaze about in wonder. It was a wonderfully active community, filled with an assortment of people. He couldn't help but stare, feeling like a child. Thatch gave Edward a hard pat on the back, an amused smile touching his features.

"Welcome to Nassau, boy. Freedom for any who will work for it" Then he walked around him, down the ship and towards the boat he had to row them to shore. Edward went with Thatch, rowing the boat as quickly as he could. He was excited to walk upon the sand, to stand among the rowdy folks who called this place home. He was eager to call it home as well.

They were soon on shore and Thatch was showing him around. The place stunk, hell it stunk bad, but in a way, Edward saw it as the stench of freedom. The town was still forming, so it was a bit of a shanty town yet, but Edward loved it. He loved how rough it looked, he loved the glint in the eyes of the men, the saucy eyes of the women and there were several taverns, scattered throughout the place. Thatch directed him around each and every one, keeping him away from all of them, except one. When Edward saw it, just off of what might be called the town square, he knew it was the one Thatch was heading to. It was called the Old Avery and he could hear a woman crooning some melody from the deck above him.

As he came to the top of the stairs and looked about, it was already a crowded place, most tables already packed. There was one open yet, with only one man sitting alone with his rum. Edward knew that this dark haired man must be Thatch's mentor, Hornigold. Sure enough, Ed thundered that way and scooped the other male up in a crushing bear hug which the other attempted to return, but there was no way he could. Ed was just too tall and too emotional at the moment.

"If you ain't a sight for sore eyes, Ben!" Thatch said at last, sitting across from the man. "Bar wench! More drinks!"

"Well you don't do any good for my sore sides" Ben wheezed.

"Don't be such a puss sac!" But Thatch said that with a laugh and any insult in his words was lost. "This lad here is Edward Kenway, a young man who I've decided to take under my own flag."

"He looks like decent material. I'm Ben Hornigold. If old Thatch seems something in you, there must be some untapped genius somewhere in you" The man was dressed more like a solider than a sailor, Edward thought and while he had the same rough tongue of any sailor, he also had a sort of…smoothness to his words, as if he were trying to talk like a man of higher blood. Edward decided he wouldn't judge him on it though. This man was Edward Thatch's mentor.

"I don't know about genius" Edward said, taking his tankard of rum from the bar's server. "But I will say that I have learned a lot from him in just a month's time."

"Who did you serve under before being found by old Thatch?" Ben's question was friendly, but Edward could sense something underneath it, almost as if he were testing him. Edward gave him a shrug.

"Hardly matters, I'd say. The man's nothing but chum"

"Is that so?"

"Edward here is the only survivor of that particular battle." Thatch belched after he spoke and took a long drink of his rum. "None of the others were worth the trouble to save."

Ben nodded over his own drink and then slammed his hands down on the table. "So, what do you say we do about this treaty? We'll be out of work before the week is out" That wasn't true. They were already out of work. The moment that treaty was signed, their "jobs" as privateers had been called back. If they attacked any more ships, English or Spanish, they would be pirates. A quiet fell over the three and even some tables near them that had heard Ben's words.

"I'll tell ya what we do!" Thatch suddenly rumbled. People began to turn and listen to him. "I'll tell ye what we do! We take any damn ship we please now. Fuck the treaty! We still need to make our way in the world and what better way is there than to line our pockets with gold? Does the merchant care if it is Spanish gold or English gold? No. No! And neither do I!"

Men roared and stomped their feet, clapping their hands at Thatch's words and he grinned, knowing that his words had a effect on people. While they had no rulers on Nassau, from what Edward had heard, it was very clear that many would follow Thatch's orders. Even Ben was grinning, clearly proud of Thatch. He had a certain charisma about him, something that made you want to follow him. Something that made one want to listen to him. Or perhaps it was the fact that if any dare disrespect him, they might get cut from prick to sternum by his temper.

"Hear! Hear!" Edward raised his tankard. "Gold is gold and I plan on filling my pockets!"

He was happy to hear a ring of "Hear! Hears!" in return, as other men lifted their own tankards. Thatch gave him a grin and then the discussion turned inward, talking of plans to make gold, of ships to take and adjustments that would be needed to be made to their own ships. Their talk went on for some time and after another drink, Edward told them that he had other things to handle.

"Haha, a man has needs, is it?" Ben asked and Edward could only laugh.

"You could say that." He scratched at the scruff on his chin. "I've been at sea for some months and it would be nice to find some…hospitality, if you know what I mean.

"Go on lad" Ed waved him off. "Meet us back here in the morning"

With that Edward walked off to find some friendly ladies to keep him warm for the night. The first one he came upon was already busy trying to seduce another man. So he searched on until at last he found one who was unoccupied and looking bored.

She was fixing her lipstick, which was bright red, to make her more forcible. She had short, light hair, cut around her face. She, strangely, had some tattoos on her chest. He had not seen a-many whores who had tattoos. That was usually considered a man thing. Edward had two himself at the moment; a work of art on his back and one his lower left arm. He was considering more, but hadn't decided what he wanted yet.

"Hello beautiful." He greeted her, saddling closer to her. She flicked her eyes up to him and she smiled. He could tell she was a couple years older than him, by her face and yet that smile was saucy and she flicked some of her hair out of her face.

"And what could you want?" She spoke with a thick Irish accent and he raised an eyebrow, almost wanting to question how she ended up here in Nassau but instead he smiled wider.

"I think you know." He dug into his coin purse and showed her a few pieces of eight and her eyebrows shot up.

"I think I best show you a damn good time" Then she took his hand and began to lead him away. He followed behind her, also admiring her behind while he was at it. She was damn nice all around. She was a little small in the front, but what was he to care? Her short hair was tussled by the wind, putting the light brown strands away from her face, brushing them gently by her bare neck. His eyes followed the line down her neck to her shoulders and to what show of her chest.

"What's your name?" He asked her as they approached a building he knew was the brothel.

"Shouldn't I be asking what yours is?" She asked, amusements coloring her tone. She opened the door to the building where several men were pinning whores against the wall, hands wandering. The women didn't seem opposed to it though, their fingers wandering as well. "Rayna. You can call me Rayna"

"Rayna then. I'm Edward"

She made a sound to let him know she heard him, though she didn't reply, and stopped at a door and turned back to look at him. She didn't hesitate, pulling him close and kissing him hard. He returned it willingly. He felt her groping behind her for the door's knob. She must have found it because the door opened and they stumbled back into the room. He kicked the door shut behind them, not that he really cared. She fell back on the bed and then he finally looked up.

On the bed, was another whore. She was leaning back against the headboard, smoking, her dark eyebrow raised. She had black hair that lay on her shoulders and brown eyes. She tapped her fingers against the bed and he noted she too had a tattoo on her chest. A tiny thing, detailed and intricate. Rayna looked up at her and sat up a little, with a gentle sigh.

"Maura," She started. "I kind of have a client here so…"

"Oh." Her voice was bored, her bright red lips forming the word gently in a way that had Edward wondering if she might just stick around a little. "I suppose you want the bed then…" She sighed, as if that was so much trouble. She slid her feet to the end of the bed and stood up, fixing her red dress slightly.

"You could always stay and join us" Edward suggested, hopefully.

She glanced at him, her brows furrowing a little. "And you're so hopeful for that, ain't you?" Her accent was British and he wondered about her story too. "You can piss off"

"Maura!" Snapped Rayna. Edward just chuckled.

"I love the ones with sass" He commented. She narrowed her brown eyes and turned, her hair flaring out behind her, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door. "Ah well, maybe later then."

"Sorry about Maura…she's has such a temper. It's a wonder she gets any clients at all"

"Well let's not worry about her. I have needs…" Certain needs that were pressed against her at the moment. She smiled, a dark look in her light eyes.

"Of course you do"

* * *

Rayna was quite efficient at getting dressed afterwards, but Edward supposed one would be that way if they were employed in such a profession. He pulled his clothes back on at a much slower rate, thinking of the other woman who had been in here. While Rayna had been great…something told him he would have liked Maura too. He wondered what he rate was. He paid Rayna and was getting ready to leave when Maura breezed back into the room, as if she had just been waiting for him to be ready to leave.

"Well hello again, beautiful" He practically purred at her.

"Don't try that shite on me." She spat back. "It doesn't work"

"Does gold?"

"I charge more" She said simply.

"I'll pay you more then" Two in one night? That wasn't unheard of but depending on how much she charged, he might just go find a different whore or just pay Rayna for some more of her time. Rayna had already left the room though and he realized it after glancing around for her. Maura walked over to a vanity sitting in the corner and lifted up what Edward had to guess was her lipstick.

"Will you now?" Her voice was suddenly breathy and seductive. He looked at her a long moment, feeling a hunger stir within him. He watched her put the lipstick on and then move over to him, where he stood near the bed. He sat down on it and she leaned over him until he was laying on it and she was straddling him. He couldn't even think to ask for how much she was going to charge. He just wanted to have her…

He couldn't think of anything else to say to her. He just leaned up, taking a handful of her dark hair and kissing her hard. He ran his tongue across her lips and she moaned gently into his mouth but he felt a little…strange. Something was off. He nipped at her neck and along her collar bone and his stomach rolled. He leaned away from her and saw her looking down at him, a small smile on her lips. Her eyes seemed to shine with a dark amusement. A sudden thought struck him.

"What…did you…?" He started, trying to speak but his words were muddled and thick.

"See you on the other side, lad" Her fingers ran down the side of his face and he tried to focus on her blurring face. The world swam around him and then he blacked out.

* * *

A/N: Now as many of you could hopefully tell, this is completely AU. While there will be characters you know and love in it, some may not have the roles you're used to. I have plenty of ideas for this story and have been looking forward to writing it for a while. Also as a side note to those wondering, this story is starting off in mid-1713. Just for those that are wondering. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter.


	2. A Wanted Woman

**II.  
****A Wanted Woman**

"You certainly have a way with men" Mary turned as her partner in crime entered the room once more. She looked at the man with the sandy blonde hair who was passed out on the bed. It was the lipstick. It had a drug mixed into it – fast acting, but not lethal. Mary ignored the light haired woman's taunt and walked back to the vanity and began to very carefully wipe the lipstick off her lips. If she ingested it, it would be her on the floor. By the time she had turned back once more, her partner was already looking through the man's coin purse.

"Does he have a lot on him?"

"More than they usually do. Not very smart are they?" Rhona was grinning now, her light eyes sparkling. "We can use this to get back to Kingston and still have some for a little while. Plus, I had two clients today…"

"Tosh! _Clients_." Hissed Mary. "Why you keep up this "merry" work, I'll never know. Men are pigs and they don't care for you. Might as well quit this posh job and just be thieves in earnest" Mary hadn't taken a "client" since she and Rhona had begun thieving. She found the job disgusting, though she had only been doing it for a few years herself. Rhona had been at it longer than she. They had met in the brothel in Kingston and become fast friends.

They had similar pasts. Failed marriages, dealing with asshole men and then finally turning to the streets because there wasn't much else for them. Not for women like _them_. Free thinkers, not settlers. They couldn't settle for a man, become subservient to some man who thought himself better than them and was really just a oaf who wouldn't know his arse from a hole in the ground. No, Mary had a deep dislike for men, especially ones who just seemed to think women were tools. Like the man on the bed.

They raided all his pockets and purses and left nothing of value on his person. When they were done, they tucked their take away in their corsets and purses and then turned to leave, letting the man on the bed. Rhona hesitated at the door, glancing at him. Mary paused a little ahead of her. She saw another of the whore looking their way and gave her a stiff glare until she moved on. Mary was known to be unfriendly and unkind to most. She didn't enjoy being that way, that tension always in the pit of her stomach but she had no choice. She had to. She glanced back at Rhona who looked at her, a sorry smile on her face.

"It's a shame. He was actually quite decent"

"Probably from a lifetime of whoring around." Mary rolled her eyes. "Let's get out of here. He'll be waking up soon. Morning is coming, I'd like to be on a ship before it's completely upon us." The two of them exited the room and the brothel quickly, making their way through the still dark and sleepy town. The sun wasn't yet up but the horizon was a hazy pink mixed with orange. They had to be across town and on a boat before first light. Most everyone was asleep in a drunk haze or hidden away in one of the shanty houses. It was the one good thing about Nassau, there weren't really any type of guards in the place. They were able to move from the town to the beach without even being noticed.

They were scoping out the ships and trying to figure out which one was going the way they needed when they saw two men moving along the beach. They ducked down behind some crates as they came close. The two men paused nearby, as if looking for someone or something.

"Some of my crew didn't return last night. Edward was among them. I wonder if he had changed his mind about sailing with me? Maybe he doesn't have the gull to be a pirate after all"

"I doubt it, from what you told me about him. Don't worry about him Ed. He had needs last night. He probably wore himself out. He'll be back sometime later today" The other man replied.

"I suppose you're right." And then the two of them wandered off, still speaking, though in voices so low Mary nor Rhona understood them.

"His name was Edward" Rhona said softly as they stood, brushing the sand from their dresses. Mary looked over at her, wondering what she was talking about. "The man we left…his name was Edward. I wonder…"

"For hell's…Edward is a common name" Mary didn't think that they were the same person. Why would they be? "Look, that ship's clearly from Havana. It's probably headed to Kingston after here, perhaps with a stop or two at fishing villages." Nassau was a good side stop between Kingston and Havana for pirates who didn't want to make the trip in one long stretch.

So the two of them found an abandoned row boat and rowed out to the ship and quietly as mice, boarded her. While a single man patrolled the deck, they easily slipped past him and to the lower deck. A few people wandered around here, but nothing they couldn't handle. The two of them slipped into a storage room, and find a stack of crates that they could easily hide behind. It wasn't comfortable and they would have to take turns sleeping so they weren't discovered but they had made such journeys before. They were never so pleasant and quite frankly, they had been caught a few times. They had always managed to slip away or make disguises and play for pity. Men were more like to pity men than they were women after all. Women were ill luck on a ship, stowaway boys could be used to do work that no one else wanted to do.

So they sat, planning on a silent trip. They could steal food when most of the rest of the ship was a sleep but otherwise, they knew they'd be sitting here, cramped and uncomfortable. At least it would get them where they needed to go. At least they'd get away with their money now. It was quiet a bit and Mary couldn't wait until she could actually sit down and count it. Maybe it'd be enough...But probably not. It never was enough.

* * *

Edward felt like shit when he woke up. He felt like he had drank a whole barrel of rum himself and then some. He lay on the soft bed for a long time, wanting to get up to move but not wanting to, knowing that he was probably going to throw up if he did. It took him a while to catch the scent in the room, a soft perfume, worn by whores to entice men. That was what made him open his eye and jump hastily to his feet.

The whores he had been with last night!

He staggered back against the bed, his head spinning something awful. He remembered kissing the one, feeling…strange afterward. She had poisoned him. Not killed him obviously but put him to sleep for…He glanced at a the window, the curtains were still drawn but he could see sunlight on the floor. He cursed and spat and felt like a right fool.

And then he felt even more foolish as he began to search his pockets. What the hell? Where was all his gold? All his things? Those bitches had robbed him and left him lie! He cursed and spat and felt right pissed. It took him a while to calm down, by which point he had stormed from the whore house and to the beach to stare at the water. They were long gone by now. They weren't fools, they'd probably skipped town with all the wealth he had gathered. He felt his chest ache with the anger he was holding in there.

"There you are lad!" A hand clamped hard on his shoulder and he turned, ready to shove his fist into the nose of the person so foolish as to touch him in his current mood to see that it was Thatch, grinning with a bottle of rum in his hand. "And why do you look so sour?"

"I was robbed"

"Was you? A pirate robbed, eh?" He was laughing.

"It's not funny." He snapped and he regretted that because a look flashed in Thatch's dark eyes. He was so cross himself right now though, he didn't care if it was dangerous pissing this man off. Thatch looked at him for a long time and he didn't back down. Gods help him if he did.

"Alright, and who robbed you lad? Let's gut them and rob them back." His mood was suddenly merry again and Edward had the feeling he had just passed some sort of unspoken test. He shook the feeling off and crossed his arms.

"Two women" Thatch opened his mouth, a smile on the corner of his lips, "Two beautiful women at that. Crafty as they were pretty. One had some sort of…poison on her. Knocked me out for hours."

"Well…ain't it so that I thought I spied two women boarding a ship in the early morning. I was coming down to the beach to piss and I thought I saw them climb onto a ship that left only an hour later. Methinks that it might have been them" He paced back and forth in front of Edward. "And what are you going to do?"

"Go after them. Make them pay for robbing me" Edward nodded to himself. "Do you know where they were going, Ed?"

"I drank with few of the crew of that ship last night. They said they was heading towards Kingston" He nodded to himself too, thinking probably. "But I don't favor that route, Edward." He opened his mouth to protest, "But I know a man who will take you. You'll have to be careful about him. He's as likely to hug you as he is to slit your throat, but he's a good captain. Most of the time. I knew him when I was a Quartermaster myself. A bit cruel he can be, but…what of us ain't a little cruel from time to time?" He slapped Edward on the shoulder, twice and hard, a grin coming across his features.

"Thanks Ed." He smiled back.

"Ah, well just do good for him. Show him that I can make a man out of a boy in record time!" Then he howled with laughter, as if he had said something particularly fun. Edward laughed too, but only because he didn't want to offend the other man.

And so the two walked back towards town, talking in low voices, Ed helping him plan. Those women weren't getting away. They thought they were, but they weren't. He was coming for them and he would make them pay.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was shorter because it was only meant to introduce Mary and Rhona as they truly are. This story has a few twist in its kinks that led Mary (and Rhona) to being whores instead of the women we know from the game. I can't explain them now, as they are spoilers but in the future all will be explained. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter.


	3. Home Again

**III.  
****Home Again**

The business of Kingston's streets had never seemed more comforting. Of course, it was near noon when Rhona and Mary were able to crawl from their hidden place on the ship. After a very uncomfortable journey, they had found themselves in a place they called "home" once more. It was here, in Jamaica, that they had first met. Rhona remembered Mary from that day. She had been younger and meaner yet. Her long black hair had been a tangle in her face and blood smeared across her face.

She had killed a man.

Rhona had seen men killed before, but not with the brutality that Mary killed him with. See, in a way, Mary had saved Rhona's life. Rhona had owed her and so she helped her hide the body, burn their blood stained dresses and return to the brothel where she worked without incident. Neither of them slept that night. Rhona remembered crying. She had been so, so scared, but when they were busy disposing and burning and running, well the tears had no chance to come. The moment they could sit down, they pour out, as if washing her clean. Mary had cried too and then she had cut her long hair – so long it had brushed her thighs when she let it down before – to a much more manageable length of near her shoulders. Rhona already had her hair shoulder length.

She shivered a little at the thoughts of that night. Mary must have sensed her shivering in the hot Jamaican sun because she glanced at the older woman, her brown eyes curious. She must have caught the look in Rhona's eye because her hand came up and squeezed her arm, just so gently, and then she dropped it again before walking ahead of her, the bustle of her dress swaying as she walked. Rhona trotted after her, silent in her own thoughts for the moment.

"Back home then?" Mary asked.

"Back home" She agreed. There was nowhere else the two of them needed to be. Usually they might stop at a tavern and try to con a man into buying them a couple drinks. If they sat on their laps, giggled and wiggled their breasts, men would give them most anything.

It sometimes amazed Rhona how stupid men were.

They walked, keeping to the back roads and paths and soon came to the brothel, the whore house where they stayed. It was an old looking thing, painted white but peeling. The upper balcony's railing was still broken from when a man had fallen when he was drunk a year or so ago. A window was cracked from the time someone punched it and broke their hand. The curtains were ripped or filled with holes. The place was a blooming mess.

And the stench! It smelled of sex, piss and booze – and that was not a darling combination. Somehow it was even worse than the stench on the ships and ships smelt like the men who were on them. Ships smelt of sea and salt, of sweat and blood, of shit and piss but time on a ship was always limited. Here, this was hell. Here they were trapped by the House Mother who watched out for the girls. She owned them in various ways – blackmail, money, or perhaps she was literally their mother. Either way, it was not a situation that Rhona liked being in. They always had to come back.

She sometimes wished she could change her own history, find something better for herself but she knew that there was probably nothing better out there for her. Not for her, not for Mary, not for any of them. Bottom of the barrel, desperate, that was what the lot of them were.

She pushed the thought aside when she walked in, a step behind Mary. Inside were various people in various states of dress and having various sexual performed by or on them. Rhona preferred not to look. Perhaps she didn't mind the sex part of the job, but watching other people was a little much for her. She saw Mary scan the room with a sign of disgust on her face. She stormed through the lobby, pushing over a woman who was on her knees before a man in her haste. Rhona followed up the stairs and to the left. There was a woman coming out of a room, walking as if she were sore.

"Rhona! Mary!" She said in surprise.

"Long time no see, is it, Lizzy?" She chirped before Mary could comment. "You have a fella who was too rough in there? You could always put a dagger in his belly if he was"

"I don't mind it" She shrugged, moving her auburn hair out of her face. "Anyway, you two have been gone too long." That comment struck them both as odd and she felt her face fall into a puzzled mask.

"Why?" asked Mary.

"Well…" She started but the furthest door down the hall began to open and Lizzy cursed, hurrying back into her room without explaining further. Her door snapped shut as the other snapped open and an older woman stormed from it.

She had very fair blonde hair and flashing blue eyes. She caught sight of Rhona and Mary and her mouth curled into a frown, her eyes pinching in an angry way. Rhona cursed to herself. She knew this woman. She had worked at the brothel on the other side of town, one that was actually run by her brother. She had a cushy job there, mainly finding work for the whores and getting part of their share. Rhona and Mary had helped their former House Mother shut that whore house down, if only to get their business.

In fact, Mary herself had killed this woman's brother to ensure he wouldn't open another home.

"So you two do still work here…I was told you left some months ago" Her voice was bitter and angry. Rhona felt Mary tense a little. She grabbed the back of her corset. No, fighting her was a bad idea. As Rhona glanced around, she noticed that others were looking now. Now that she studied them, Rhona didn't know all the whores in the house anymore. It was clear a merge happened.

"We did. We returned to collect our things" Rhona lied through her teeth. She took a step back, pulling Mary with her. She saw Mary glancing around now too, seeing how the odds were stacked against them.

"You killed my brother you know" The woman stepped forward and then took another step closer to them. Rhona pulled Mary back another step. Ten more steps and they'd be at the stairs. The woman was still walking forward though and Rhona pulled an unwilling Mary backwards.

Soon enough they were standing at the stairs and she glanced down them. There were several people gather below, none known to Rhona but one stood out. He was wearing a white hood so she couldn't see his face. He was standing by the door and appeared to be watching but not taking part in the events around him. She wondered who he was and then she had to move because someone tried to stick a dagger in her back.

She heard the whistling sound of the wind as someone plunged the dagger downward, she pushed Mary away and moved, away from the steps, and took the dagger to her arm instead. It cut deeper than she would have liked and she cried out as the blood began to flow down her arm.

"Rhona!" Mary's voice was shrill and high. She had her dagger that she kept under her skirt in her hand she stabbed Rhona's attacker in the shoulder and then in the chest. Two quick stabs, blood splattering across her forehead and face for her troubles. Rhona stumbled against the wall, holding her arm, feeling a whimper of pain escape her lips.

"We have to go" She whispered. Mary seemed to not have heard her because she was already looking at their next attacker, bloody dagger clenched in her fingers. Rhona let go of her arm and loosened her dagger from its own hidden sheath. Her bloodied fingers held onto the weapon as tight as she was able and she looked about at the people around them. They had to get out of here. She saw that there were only two people in their way to the opposite hall, the one away from the woman.

"Mary!" She didn't explain, she attacked the one, slitting open his stomach and Mary followed, slitting the other's throat. She jumped over the bodies and ran, fast as she was able, leaving splatters of blood as a trail behind her. She could hear the footfalls behind them. They expected them to turn into a room, but that wasn't their goal.

They were only on the second story, surely jumping wouldn't kill them right? Rhona hoped so, she really, really did.

Suddenly there was nothing below them and all around the two was broken glass. Rhona had her arm shielding her face and Mary was using both of her arms. She felt pinpricks as the glass cut into her but it was nothing compared to her wounded arm which throbbed with every beat of her heart. She was beginning to feel dizzy.

They flew farther than expected and she found herself on the roof of the low building next to the whore house. She found herself flat against it, having been unable to catch herself. Her dagger clattered out of her hand and she wasn't sure if she could push herself up with one hand. Suddenly someone had her about the waist and was picking her up.

"Rhona!" Her shrill, angry voice snapped. "Get up! Get up! You can't die yet!"

She had to agree. She found the will to get up, with Mary's help. The two of them, somehow, got down. She couldn't remember the process. She just remembered that suddenly they were on the ground and they were stumbling along, away from the main roads. She knew that Mary had an arm around her and then two, leading her, unwilling to let her behind. It was strange to think that Mary cared so much for her. Mary acted like she cared for no one. Mary acted like she hated the world and with good reason, but still it was charming to see that she really did care for her.

And Rhona knew at that point, with such soft thoughts, she had lost too much blood.

Yes, the world was black around the edges. Her feet no longer seemed to find a single flat surface to balance upon. Anything that Mary had said to her was blurry and unfocused, sounding too deep, too loud and like gibberish.

Suddenly Mary's face was all she could see, worried and perhaps with some tears in her eyes. "Please don't die on me!" She read her lips, she could almost hear the words. Mary's face disappeared and Rhona was aware that she was sitting on the ground, leaned up against something.

As her vision began to fade, she thought she saw the strange hooded man once more, but this time he was crouching on a building. He was watching them, like a cat hunting a mouse. She closed her eyes and this time she did not open them again.

* * *

Rhona was still feeling sore the next morning. She couldn't stand sitting around and Mary was gone. She was scouting out the area. The night before she had already left Rhona to look at the other brothels. It turned out that Sherry, the blonde woman who had taken over their old home, was eliminating the other brothels if they would not fall under her ownership. It was an underground war between prostitutes and those who owned them. Mary and Rhona wanted no part in what was going on, but it seemed that coming back to Kingston had been a mistake. It was no longer the sanctuary that it once had been.

Rhona walked through the town, unable to just sit and do nothing while Mary was scouting. She was looking for…She wasn't sure what she was really looking for. But she found it.

She had stopped to look around her, make sure she wasn't being followed, reassure herself that her dagger was still hidden on her person, when she heard voices talking from the next alley over. Her light eyes raised, glancing towards the sounds of the voices. She started forward, quietly as she could and peeked around a building. There in the crisscross of the back allies, stood two men.

One was what looked to be a native from one of the islands. He had dark skin and she could see some grey in his hair. He wasn't facing her, but she could see both of their sides. He was wearing a hooded robe that was very decorated and she had a feeling he held a high rank in…something. The man standing in front of him was the hooded man from the night before – the one that had followed her and Mary somehow.

"You saw a Sage when you were a child, Mentor?" The man in the white robes was asking.

"I saw the Sage when I was a boy. My father assisted him and I envied him, or I did back then at least."

"Envied him, Mentor?" They began to walk, slowly away from Rhona. She wondered in the wisdom of following. Finally, she decided that whatever they were talking about, it couldn't be too secretive if they were talking about it in broad daylight. So she followed.

"Yes, how he saw visions, the great prophecy of the Sage is something we do not hide here. My father told me much about the Sage when I was too young to stand. And I made sure to pass the teachings on, so that anyone who would see him could know who he was and protect him, as my father did the Sage in his time." She could see the native nodding to himself.

"Do you ever expect to see another Sage, Mentor?"

"I do not know. We Assassins have helped countless Sages over the centuries."

"And yet we still do not know where the Observatory lies" The man in white seemed very annoyed, though Rhona couldn't see their face. It was just the way he stood, the way he spat the words.

"We are not meant to know" The native seemed very calm and very wise. Somehow, Rhona knew that he was different than most people on the street and not just because of his upbringing or skin color. There was a core difference to him.

She must have been thinking too deeply on this because she heard a twig crack underfoot and the two men turned. She ducked down under some stairs, hoping they didn't catch a glimpse of her, hoping they'd think it were only a dog or cat following behind but the two men were too smart for that. She knew, just knew, that they were stalking closer to where she hid and at last moment, she darted from her hiding spot and began to run.

She didn't hear them exclaim anything; she only heard their footfalls as they chased her. She cut into a crowd and then right through it. She ran as fast as she could, feeling her heart hammering and her wound throbbing. She ran as fast as she could and she began to slow, feeling as if she lost them. She didn't hear them anymore at least. She slowed to a job and half-turned to see if they indeed were gone. She saw the point of a blade at her throat.

The man in white stood behind her, having jumped from a tree. There was some sort of wristblade on him and he was pointing it right at her throat. She froze, feeling her heart jump into her throat, to push against that blade.

"Almost" The man smile cruelly.

"Duncan" A voice snapped. It was the native. He jumped from the tree next and landed behind the man he called Duncan. She noted that he too had wristblades. "We do not kill innocents"

"If she were innocent, would she run? She was following us. Who knew what she had learned?"

"Look at her, she is not a spy. She has no weapon and she would have alerted the guard if she was working with them. She is not a part of their group. She is a just a woman of the street" His voice was so sure, as if he could look into her mind and see the truth of his words. Duncan did not remove his blade from her throat though.

"I am not so sure." His brow twisted. Rhona thought that he might really want to kill her. She had a feeling that he was somehow connected to Sherry and that killing her might help the other woman somehow. He was just looking for an excuse. She had a feeling if the native had not been here, she would already be dead.

"Let her go, Duncan. She will not tell what she heard to anyone, will you?" His eyes were suddenly on Rhona.

"N-No" She stuttered. She didn't know if she could say anything else, she was choking on her own fear.

"Let her go" The man said again and this time more forcefully. Duncan made a sound of disbelief and then lowered his arm, the blade disappearing once more. The other man sighed as if in relief. "Speak of what you heard to no one."

She had a feeling that he was warning her. And then the two men disappeared, climbing a nearby building as agility as if they had been doing it their whole lives. Rhona stumbled back and then fell down outright. She sat there for a moment, wondering if there was some way that she had just made all that up in her head. She replayed what they had talked about. A Sage of some sort. Were they madmen? She didn't know what to think.

It took her a bit but she pulled herself up and hurried to get back to her and Mary's current residents. They were hiding out in an abandoned house and she kept looking over her shoulder, making sure that no one was following her. She felt like she was sick, she had the chills. There was certainly something wrong with those men – especially that Duncan.

She had to tell Mary. She didn't know _what_ she was going to tell her, but she was going to tell her something. She was going to suggest they leave. This was no longer a sanctuary, this was no longer a home and the sooner they got out of here, the better.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to update! My life has been a busy mess lately. Thank you to the people who favorite'd and follow'd this story. Anyone want to leave a review or two to let me know what you think? Also, I will be looking for a Beta for this story. I'm not sure how this works, but just so everyone knows, I am looking for someone to review my story plans, my chapters and everything else. Maybe two people if needed. Shoot me a PM or email if you think you have the qualifications. Anyway, thanks for reading! See ya next time!


	4. Hunting

**IV.  
****Hunting**

Edward was thoroughly disgusted by the time they reached Kingston. His stomach felt sour with the annoyance, anger and injustice he felt. He couldn't stand Charles Vane. A blooming fucking bastard that one was. He was a nasty son of a bitch and he regretted sailing with him entirely. Thatch said he was an able captain and while that was true, he also had a terribly mean streak. His quarter master, Jack Rackham was…Well he was a damn drunk and Edward never thought he would think that of anyone with as much as he drank himself. Rackham spent three fourths of the journey drunk and the other part of it getting drunk.

But that wasn't what was making his stomach so sour. No, it was the fact that Charles Vane had killed innocent men and yes, laugh if you will, but Edward Kenway was no murderer. He killed to defend himself or because it was just job, no that did not make him a murderer. Not by his own books. He needed a way to fill his pockets and yes, that meant taking life. But he did not murder in cold blood. He would never do that.

See it all started when they spotted a ship in the distance, flying no colors. They assumed that it was another ship of privateers turned pirates such as them. Vane's ship flew a plain black flag as many of theirs did. They thought nothing of the ship until they noticed it had not changed course and seemed to be heading straight for them. Charles called him men to reel in the sails a bit, perhaps the captain had something to say to him. He was already cursing and bellowing – demanding it better be something good, lest he gut the captain like the pinprick he was. Edward assumed that Charles had something to drink at that point, only to be told by another sailor that Vane was always like that. He was always bellowing and cursing, like a mad dog of some sort.

Either way, the ship was coming up fast and showing no signs of slowing in the least. Then the boys in the nest above called that they had their cannons at the ready. Vane grabbed a telescope and cursed. He shouted profanities and orders in the same breath.

"Ready the cannons! Get the first fucking shot, you grog blossoms!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Sails open, I want to be fucking moving _right now_" The sails snapped open, the men ran around like chickens, trying to hop to. Edward ran too. He had seen what Vane would do to a disobedient man already. The one was still laid up in his cot, unable to move his back was so torn up. He probably wouldn't move again for another two to three weeks and it had been nearly one already.

Well by the time they had their sails ready, by the time their cannons were ready, the other ship was ready too. Vane had his men fire first, battering the other ship. Usually, they wouldn't want to sink them, but Vane didn't give a shit. They were a threat, they needed to be taken care of. Men hit the deck as the other ship returned fire. Edward hated this. It had taken him a while to get to use to the fact that wood, tar and few other things were between him and the sea. Battles like these tended to ruin the wood and tar and other things. They could sink.

He could die.

But he didn't die. Not that day, no. They managed to get the other ship broken and Vane boarded them, found the captain and questioned him. Seemed they were pirates fallen on such hard times they were preying on other pirates. They all watched in silence as Vane paced the other ship's deck, the captain and the remaining men tied up before him.

"So, you've taken to others flying the colorless flag" He nodded to himself, his wild mane of black hair bobbing around him. "How does that sit with you lads?" He was asking them, his crew. None of them spoke, afraid to give the wrong answer.

"It's wrong!" someone called. Vane pointed into the crowd.

"Yes! Exactly!" He turned back to the captain and crouched down before him, tilting his head so he could look into the captain's eyes, hands on his legs. "It's _WRONG_" He bellowed the last word into the other's face. Edward was sure that the other captain had pissed himself by now. Vane stood again, "Why exactly is wrong, lads?"

"Because it's cowardly!" The same voice called. A few others, bolstered by this voice called 'yeah!'. Edward wished they'd shut up and not play Vane's game. He had a dangerous look in his eyes. A look that Edward did not favor, so he stood stiff and silent, wishing he were back with Thatch. Crazy as he was, Thatch was at least not outwardly cruel.

"Ah, is it lads? Is it? I think its quite with genius, but you are right. It is cowardly, it is wrong and he and his mutinous crew should be punished. Aye?" He was grinning at them and holding his arms out, as if waiting for their cheers. Most everyone cheered, yelling for punishment. Edward wanted to speak against it, knowing whatever was to follow was going to be horrid. He knew if he spoke against it, there was a heavy chance that he would suffer just as much though. Smartly, he kept his mouth shut.

"No, no, no…I will never pirate again, please…don't…don't hurt me" The Captain was whimpering.

"Hurt you?" Vane turned back, probably smiling. "Ah, I don't plan to hurt you. I plan to take revenge for the damage you did to my ship when you plotted to take her." The captain tried to stutter excuses but Vane shot him in the lower leg. His excuses turned to a scream of pain and Edward felt bile rise in his throat.

He had seen battle, he had seem what seemed like war. He had killed people, he had gutted them. He had seen people killed; he had watched them die before him. He was disgusted by this though. The man was tied up. This was torture.

"That was for ruining a perfectly good set of sails." Vane snarled. He put the gun away. He pulled out another and shot the same leg, only higher up and there was the sound of bones cracking and splintering. The man screamed again. "That's for…" and the game went on. They were all forced to stay and watch. Vane's crew cheered, knowing if they didn't, they would be punished as well. Edward faded to the back of the crowd so he wouldn't have to watch, but he could still hear.

Charles killed the captain, then sunk the ship with all the men tied below deck. He took no quarter. He gave no mercy and that was what gave Edward such a sour taste in his stomach. So he stormed through the streets of Kingston and found himself at a tavern. He sat, had a drink with the money he had earned from working on Vane's ship. That left him disgusted all over again, but at least he wasn't penniless.

He left the tavern feeling sour yet, but not so much so. Vane was busy doing whatever business he had in the town and he had promised to let Edward to his own. He felt like the women were really here. He just had to track those witches down and get his money back from them already. If they didn't have it, he'd…well he'd at least get revenge.

Not like Vane had gotten "revenge" on that captain, but he'd get revenge somehow. He wasn't heartless though and though these women were dangerous, they were still women. They couldn't be so bad. At least he didn't think so. He really only wanted his money or compensation.

So he walked through the town. He wanted to ask someone if they had seen the women, but their descriptions grew blurrier and blurrier in his mind. He felt like the drug that Maura had given him had blurred his mind somehow. Else it was the drink he had doing that. Either way, he wandered and he looked hoping to spot the women somehow. He searched and searched. He stopped for another drink at one point then searched some more. Sometimes he would sit and watch others go by, just hoping that he would see one or both of the women. He didn't.

Soon enough night fell and he gave up hope of finding the women that day. He had to try and find Vane now, see how long he was staying here in Kingston. If they weren't staying long, he might stay behind and sign onto another ship after he found them. Of course, he didn't know how long they were staying in this city so he might as well leave when Vane left. If he didn't find them tomorrow, he knew he might as well give up hope.

He was just walking onto the docks when he noticed a man asleep or maybe dead, leaning against some crates at the edge of the docks. He frowned at the man and kicked him with his foot. He groaned and rolled over a bit, his eyes flickered open.

"'Oy, is that you, Jack Rackham? Get your lazy arse up. Where the hell is Vane?" Edward kicked him again. Jack kicked back this time, cursing and sputtering.

"Up _your_ arse, lad!" He groaned and flopped to the side once more, intent on sleeping off his drink. Edward leaned down and dragged the quartermaster to his feet, where he stumbled and cursed some more.

"Where. Is. Vane?" He snarled but movement caught his eye. He let go of Rackham who stumbled back against the crates. "Quiet you!" His hissed. He pulled the other man back down and peeked over the crate. He saw movement again, the sway of a skirt and finally a woman with dark hair entered his vision in full. She had been lurking behind a crate, watching a guard come by. She stood now and was examining the ships out in the water, her mouth seemed to be moving, she was mouthing words to herself.

_Son of a bitch! She's planning on getting onto a ship and getting out of the town!_ He thought angrily. Jack was peering over the crate as well now, staring straight at who Edward thought –nay, he was sure it was – Maura. Maura, the bitch who had knocked him out and robbed him, though he knew now that Rayna had just been the bait.

"She's got a nice ass" Jack was leering.

"She's not as nice as she looks, Jack" He warned in a soft voice.

"I bet I could soften her up. I wouldn't mind her hospitality."

"Shut up Jack"

Edward crept out from the crate but too late. He saw two guards coming. He ducked down behind some more crates. The guards shooed Maura off the premises and watched her walk away. What they didn't see was Edward – and even Jack Rackham – following after her as silently as they could.

* * *

Mary glared bitterly at the docks. She had found two or three promising ships but without a clear look at them, without being able to stand and observe them a little longer, there was no way to tell which ship to take. In the morning some would already be gone. She cursed to herself and she stopped a moment in the empty street, her hands on her hips, feeling ill of temper. That was when she heard the scruff of footsteps behind her. That gave her pause and she turned.

There stood a man, glaring her down. She didn't have a clue who he might be. She looked at him for a long time. She thought she should know his face, it was a teasing memory on the edge of her mind. She turned completely to face him.

"Do I know you?"

"You should" The man replied. His voice stirred her memory. "You robbed me. In Nassau. I've come to get what you stole from me back"

"Sorry, lad. I don't have it" She began to back up. He advanced, keen on her tactic.

"Don't you run, Maura!" He snapped at her.

"Too late!" And she turned, running as fast as she could, despite her dress. She heard him running after her, cursing her for everything she was worth. She knew he was gaining on her and it didn't seem to matter what she did, he was right behind her, following straight after her, almost close enough to grab her. She made a sharp turn and slammed into the chest of another man. She backed up and Edward was right behind her. She turned to glare at him.

"You have no where to go" He told her.

"You can't hold me!" She spat at him.

"That's what you think" The other man behind her grabbed her arms and she jerked her left arm hard, hitting him in the gut. He went down and she drew her dagger and turned back to Edward. She held it out at him, ready to gut him and leave him on the street if she had to.

"Fucking bitch" The other was cursing.

"Put the knife down, lass" The first one said, overriding the others curses.

"Go to Hell" She snarled.

He drew a gun. She felt herself pale but she didn't drop her knife. Killing her wouldn't get his money back. Rhona had it with her, back at their safehouse. She wouldn't leave until they were getting ready to leave for sure. Mary didn't blame her and right now she was glade that the other woman had remained behind.

"Are you going to kill me, lad? Is that what you're going to do?" She jerked her knife at him and he jumped back, still wary of being gutted she could see. He held the advantage, but it was clear from his eyes that he rather not shoot her if he didn't have to. "You don't have the balls to do it."

She was trying to psyche him out, make him throw down his gun and just retreat like the worm he was. She doubted that he would just give up, but at least he could put down his gun and slink away to where ever it was that he came from. She felt her heart pounding with real fear though. One pull of that trigger and that was it for her life. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die, but she might. Oh, she might.

"Don't i?" The man asked and then he pulled the trigger. She flinched, covering her face, as if that might stop the bullet. The gun clicked and there was no bang. The man smiled, as if he found something funny. "But I don't want to kill you. I want my money back"

Then suddenly someone hit her in the back of the head with something blunt, hard. She fell forward, her last sight being the smug man's boots right by her face.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to those who Favorite'd and Follow'd and Review'd this story once more. I'd love a few more reviews if I could though. Also, I am still looking for those Betas. If any of you have a Beta Profile, feel free to send it to me and I'll look it over. If you don't, that's fine and we can discuss things in a message as well. Anyway, thank you for reading and see you all next time!


	5. A Cornered Rat

**V.  
****A Cornered Rat**

Mary couldn't see anything when she woke up, but she could feel her arms were bound to her sides and she was seated in a chair. She turned her head, trying to get whatever was blinding her off her eyes. She struggle a little longer before she gave up. She could hear a slight creaking and the floor under her tilted so slightly. The rocking motion was familiar and she quickly realized that she was most certainly on a ship. She hoped she was still outside Kingston. She had no way of knowing though, she could only sit, wait and hope.

She thought of the men who had clearly brought her here. She had robbed the one and the other had been working with him. She wondered how they knew each other. She wondered if they were going to kill her. She didn't think so. She wasn't wounded outside of her head pounding from when the one hit her. She was sure her dagger was missing though. That was a shame. She had stolen that two years ago and it had been her constant companion since. Maybe they had it; maybe she could get it back yet. Once again she could only hope. Though it was a stolen tool, she still considered it her's and she had a sort of attachment to it. She had gored many men with it; she had protected her life and Rhona's life many times with it.

A door opened and two people walked into the room. She could tell it was two by the way their footsteps sounded. One seemed to be stumbling slightly, as if they had a drink or two. The door shut with a loud _snap!_ and Mary stiffened her spine, sitting as straight as she could, trying to appear stern, even while being bound.

"Awake at last, lass?" It was the man she robbed – what had Rhona said his name was? She couldn't remember. He ripped the rag from her eyes and she looked at him and his friend. His friend was leering. She wished she could kick him right in the goolies. She'd make it a damn good kick too, she'd make him regret ever looking at her.

"Fuck you"

"Almost, lass, almost" He sighed. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the doorway. "Let's just cut the crap, Maura – if that's your name. You took something from me, I want it back. I get it back, I let you go. I don't get it back, you sit here."

"That's it?" She spat. "I _sit_ here? How terrified I am of you, you cowardly, spineless, little cock robin!" She spat at him and it hit him in the face. He wiped at it angrily, stepping closer to her, almost threateningly, but he stopped, leaning against the doorway once more.

"Okay, you." It was the other man and he bellied up to her, standing until his legs were nearly touching her's. "We can always give a pretty little treat like you to the crew. We'll see if you got anything to say to us then"

She paled but pressed her lips together. "I ain't got nothing on me"

"That much is clear" Growled the first man. She was sure now that they had searched her. So her dagger was gone then. Damn.

"I gave it all to Rayna. She's got it all and I ain't tell you where she's hiding." She turned her head, not caring if she were childish and stubborn. These men weren't getting a thing out of her. Besides that, she felt like they were bluffing about the whole crew having at her. She didn't think that the first man was that cruel. Maybe the second, but not the first. And she felt like the second just might keep her to himself. He seemed the type, a greedy grubworm, the type she'd gore without thought. The exact type she hated.

She hated greedy people, men mostly. She herself was greedy and she hated that too. She was the type of person she hate, but there wasn't much she could do for that. She could just keep forging forward. There was no chance for change for her, there was only a future where she escaped this hideous loop she got herself caught into. The only way out was to get a fortune and the only way to do that was to sell herself or steal it all. She hated selling herself, she loathed it. She wasn't a whore – well, technically speaking she was, but she didn't _want_ to be one. Not that there were many women that _wanted_ to be whores. For some women, for Mary and Rhona too, it was the only choice they had.

"Alright, Maura. But you're staying here until you speak. No food, no water. Scream all you like, it'll only attract the crew's attention" Then with that, the two men turned and left her in the room. She heard the door lock but she didn't care. It didn't mean anything that the door was locked. She waited until the sounds of their footsteps faded away and then she smiled to herself. These men were clearly fools.

Did they think this was the first time she had found herself tied up, chained or otherwise held captive? She was a whore, thank you very much. They were often kidnaped, victims of serial killers or targets of mugging, rape or other crimes that men (and sometimes other whores) thought they could get away with. After all, who would come to the aid of a whore? No one. So she had learned to look out for herself.

Actually, a bitter thought stuck to the front of her mind, she had learned to look out for herself before becoming a whore. She had learned it from…well did it matter anymore? That man was dead. That time in her life was closed. She didn't even speak about it with Rhona anymore. It was over. Case closed. She didn't relish thinking about it either. It was a painful thorn in her side, causing her pain at the worst moments. She didn't have the time right now to dwell in that pain so she simply focused on the task at hand, pushing the pain away.

Back to the matter at hand, the bindings on her arm. She tested it, pulling on the bindings, and found she was tied quite tightly. He was clearly good with his knots. So she went about pulling and teasing it, moving her arms and hands every which way she could. Soon, she had managed to slip the bindings up, just about three inches. She could now bend her arm a little better and with a little more wiggling, some bending and twisting, she was able to grab the knot with her one hand and with another twist, the knot came lose. It took three more tugs until it fell off and she was able to begin to squirm out of her bindings. All that was left was to untie her feet, which was much simpler. She left the bindings laying on the chair she had formerly occupied and opened the window on the edge of the room. She was in a higher up room, perhaps the Quartermaster's quarters or something. While the window was too narrow for a man, it was the perfect size for her.

Out she went and she ducked on the deck, listening for any men nearby. While she heard little movement, she stayed where she was hidden, getting a hold of her bearings. She was still in Kingston, the sky nearly blood red in the dawn. Too bad she lost her dagger, but at least she was getting away with her life. She knew Rhona had to be worried sick and she had to return right away. With another glance around, she decided to just go for it. She ran to the edge of the ship and dove off into the water. She heard someone yell out but she was already gone and swimming swiftly to shore.

It didn't take long, though her dress was heavy. She ran though, just in case she was being chased. She took the back ways, running in circles and by the time she returned to her and Rhona's hide away, she was mostly dry, though her thick hair was still a little wet and so was her skirt but mostly she was dry. When she burst in though, Rhona stood and looked panicked before she realized who she was. She had rings under her eyes, as if she had stayed up all night waiting for Mary to return.

"By the sea, where the hell have you been?" Raged the woman, her accent so thick it was almost impossible to understand her. Though she was clearly mad, it was also clear that she had been worried. Mary saw that very clearly in her eyes and it helped her keep her own temper in check. She took a deep breath, just in case, before she began;

"I apologize, Rhona. I've been…Well I was caught by the man we robbed in Nassau. Seems he's a bitter fuck. We have to get out of here, now, today. He's looking for us and I don't think that grog blossom is going to stop until he has his money back." Mary was already moving about the small room, gathering what she could, what they needed. Rhona sat there, unmoving for a long moment and then finally she stood.

"Stop, Mary, I have an idea"

"An idea, you have a bloody idea? Here's an idea for you, _let's get the fuck out of here._ While we bloody well can!"

"No, Mary, that's what he's expecting us to do. He'll follow us, or send someone after us and we can't have that. We got to hide, in plain sight. Then we leave when we please. There are other people looking for us too I think. We have to lay low. Watch out for ourselves. Think, Mary. Please, listen to my idea. I know what to do."

And so Rhona told her and Mary actually smiled because it wasn't a completely bad idea. Dangerous, but what part of their lives weren't already hellish and dangerous? No, this idea was smart and it might just work.

* * *

He had only left her in there…maybe four hours. He had gone to sleep a little and left Rackham to guard the room. It _was_ his room after all that they were holding her in. He found Rackham outside the door, passed out with a drink in his arms, cuddled against him like a lover. While it annoyed Edward, it didn't make him mad. Not really. He just sighed to himself and unlocked the door, stepped over the drunk and walked inside.

"So have you changed your mind yet?" He asked as he walked in but he found himself talking to an empty room. He stared at the coil of ropes on the chair for a moment and then realized that she had escaped. Somehow, impossible as it seemed, she had escaped. He cursed and ranted for a long moment, feeling anger burn up and down his spine. He stormed back outside and kicked Rackham along his ribs. He jumped up, yowling with pain. It felt good to take his anger out on someone.

"You fucking idiot, she got away!"

"What the bloody hell do you mean she got away?" He yowled at the top of his voice

"You were supposed to be watching her! Instead, you're out here, being the drunk bastard you always are!"

"Fuck you, lad!" And Rackham jumped at him. He had to admit, for being a drunk and for smelling like bad rum most of the time, Rackham knew how to fight. The man got several good hits in – not that Edward didn't return them – before another man came and separated the two. Edward spat at Jack before storming off the _Ranger_.

He found himself at a tavern shortly after and there he comforted himself with rum and women until his bruises didn't hurt anymore. Day wore on to evening and soon he saw Vane walk in. Edward was busy with a busty young brunette at the moment, whispering things he'd like to do to her in her ear. He hoped Vane didn't see him, but he was under the impression that the man was strangely looking for him. He hid his face against the woman's neck, nipping and kissing at it but Vane must have spotted him anyway because he heard boots stomping their way and a gruff voice calling;

"'Ey, lad!" He looked up, feeling annoyed. "I've been looking for you. I heard that you got in a fight with Rackham"

"I did. That bastard cost me my chance to get my money back." He snarled. He pushed the woman away and she stumbled, cursing under her breath. "I'm not happy with him"

"That much is clear, but I came to tell you that we're all leaving tomorrow. That includes you, if you want to come with us. You don't have to. I ain't gonna make you" He was being strangely coherent. He must have been having a good day.

"I guess so. Are we returning to Nassau?"

"That's the plan unless something else catches my eye" He rubbed his hand across his face. "Listen, lad, I ain't going to hold anything against you, but Jack ain't happy with you"

"Thanks for the warning" He replied gruffly. He wondered what else Vane wanted. He doubted he came just to spread this message to him. He had to want something. A warning and a message? Not Vane's style. He stared hard at the other man, wondering what this mad man was thinking. It was very clear that that he had a good reason for telling Edward about returning to Nassau.

"Have you found those women you were looking for?" He asked.

"I did, but they've got better resources than I thought they did" He turned back to cup, grimly reminded of Maura's escape.

"Ah, Jack filled me in a little. Said you kicked the ever loving hell out of him as well" He gave Edward a gruff smile.

"I would have kicked some more. He deserved it….With what he did and all." Vane had nothing to say to that. He simply gave Edward a slap on the shoulder.

"Just be there tomorrow or I'll leave you here" That was another warning clearly. Edward just sighed and finished off his rum. Another one and he might just be able to stumble back to the ship in a half decent mood.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to all that Favorite'd and Follow'd while waiting for me to update. Leave some reviews to let me know what you think. See you next time!


	6. Under the Flag

**VI.  
****Under the Flag**

Edward woke to someone cursing heavily. A roaring voice full of cusses and anger and probably some drink. He opened his eyes ever so slightly and saw a few of the other jack tars below deck were rousing themselves as well. He pushed himself off his cot and grabbed his shirt, slipping it on with a few muttered curses. A dark skinned man who slept in the cot next to Edward's, came storming in, grabbing his shirt and throwing it over his shoulder. He began to grab his cutlass and his guns, throwing his belt on with a grumbled curse or two of his own. A bruise was forming on his shoulder and a few bumps were all over his upper body. Edward saw some blood running from his one ear and one of his nostrils. He had been in a fight. Edward felt himself pale a little.

"Friday" He said to the man, as that was the name he went by, "What is going on?" He feared an attack, guards, or something else terrible.

"It's that bloody fucking loon, Charles Vane!" Snapped Friday. "That bastard got himself on a rant. Some of the crew left last night in the middle of the night after he got in rough with them. Now he's bitching and crowing and yelling at the lot of us. He's been drinking along with that useless piece of shit he calls a Quartermaster. The First Mate and the Second were among those that are planning to jump ship and I'm going with them. If you was smart, you would go too." He grabbed a few more of his personal things, shoving them in pockets or tying them into his shirt.

"How many of the crew left?" Edward found himself asking.

"At least thirteen of them. Fourteen when I go. Three or four more are debating the wisdom of staying under the leadership of such cruel man" Friday straightened and looked at Edward, his dark eyes hard. "Like I said, you best be jumping ship too, lad. You usually sail under Thatch right? I know a few people who sailed with him and he's to be a better captain than this bastard." Then Friday stormed out, leaving Edward standing there.

He pondered his predicament a few minutes before cautiously slipping on boots, sliding his sword onto his hip, two guns behind him and then exited the sleeping quarters. He made his way to the deck and saw Vane leaning against the edge of the ship, screaming at the four men leaving with a red face.

"Leave then! I didn't know you had cunts, you bitches! I hope the sea swallows you all!" His words became more and more filled with awful words and finally he smashed a bottle of rum against the ship in his rage. "I'll kill anyone of those bastards if I ever see them again. Fuckers! I'll gut every single one of them! All of them!" He was just shouting his rage to the sky, but they were in port and he couldn't be screaming such things. Guards were looking, probably wondering if they should arrest him – and probably everyone else on the ship.

Edward darted forward, grabbed Vane and pointed a stern finger into his face. "Shut your bloody gob, Vane!" He hissed. "The guard are looking and soon they'll raid the damn ship, so do everyone a favor _and shut your fucking gob_."

Vane stared hard at him. "Why you cocky little-!" He lurched at Edward, his fist raised. Edward grabbed it midair and twisted. Vane cried out in pain and launched a tirade of curses aimed at Edward, his mother, his father and every relative in his family tree for the past two hundred years. Edward twisted his arm harder and he yelled out. He grabbed the back of his shirt and forced him into the _Ranger_'s navigation room, hoping he would shut the hell up once inside.

He pushed him down and Vane fell face first into the floor, clearly very drunk. Edward sighed, knowing that when he was drunk he was just as bad. Still, seeing a man this sloppy didn't do anything for him, but it did piss him off. This man was his Captain. He shouldn't be drunk off his arse. It looked bad. So he shook his head at him.

"I'm going to shore to convince some of the men to stay, if I can" He told Vane as he pushed himself up. "Stay here, sober up and stay quiet. Fuck's sake man…" He shook his head as he walked out, closing the door firmly behind him.

* * *

That night, Edward went to his new favorite tavern in Kingston and he saw, well rather he heard, Vane within. He sighed, growling curses under his breath and pushed the door open anyway. What he saw inside was actually a good thing though so he let out a sigh of relief. Vane was recruiting some new men. It seems he had found ten.

Edward looked them over and found that most of them already looked worth their merit. There were four that looked young – or rather fairly scrawny. Two were lads who couldn't have been more than sixteen. One was one who must have been at least nineteen and the other might have been around Edward's age, maybe a little older. He wasn't sure.

The last two stood apart a little bit. They wore long coats and the younger one wore a ruffled shirt that covered most of his chest. He wore striped pants and boots to his knees, which was nothing unusual for a pirate. He didn't have a lick of scruff on his young face and his dark hair was in a wrap, up on his head. A little hung over it, but most of it was up, with a little bit being tied behind his head.

The older one wore a scarf that covered most of his chest and tucked into his white shirt. His short brown hair was pulled away from his face with a bandana. He wore long dark blue pants that tucked into boots that were a little lower than the former lad's. He wore three guns, Edward noted, and he wondered if they fancied themselves a sharp shooter.

The younger one met his eyes and they got wide for a moment and then narrowed. He turned his face away and Edward wondered what that was about. He walked over towards Vane who seemed to be asking if anyone else wanted to join he ten before him. Edward hoped not. These ten men were clearly desperate for work to be working with Vane. Vane looked up at him and a small grin came across his face.

"There you are, Kenway! Listen, we'll be setting sail in the morn. Got these ten lads here to help pick up the slack now. We should be able to push through with what we got" He seemed much more cheerful now and he was clearly sober from the way he was roaring. That seemed to just be how Vane talked – in various states of shouting and growling. Then he went along and introduced the men he had just recruited. When he got to the strange two men he found their names were James and Samuel.

They both looked at him and James made another face but he didn't say anything. Vane gave them all instructions to be on the _Ranger _at seven in the morn. He told Edward to be there about that time if he insisted on going out but Edward was planning on making his way back to the ship after a few drinks. So while Vane talked to the new recruits, he took a seat and got a drink.

After a few drinks, he noticed James and Samuel sitting not too far from him. He got himself up and walked to their table, sitting down heavily across from the two of them. They gave him a strange look, one he wouldn't be able to place in his slightly drunk state.

"So, what made you sorry lads join up with Vane?" He asked them.

"We need to get somewhere and he seems the most convenient route there" Answered James, his brown eyes narrowing slightly. His face was slightly familiar. Edward couldn't place it though. Now that he got a good look at it…Where was it that he had seen a face like that? Even only briefly? In the dim light of the tavern, it was hard to say….Same for Samuel's.

"Ah, I'm just sailing with him until we manage back to where Thatch be." Edward replied.

"Thatch?" Samuel asked.

"Aye, Edward Thatch"

"I heard he was a wild one when he was privateering"

"I spent two years privateering myself. I've had a few tricks at the helm as well as a few nasty fights. What experience do you lads have?"

James and Samuel glanced at each other and exchanged a look. He didn't understand what it meant, but he figured they were sending a signal of some sort to each other. The two men stood suddenly and Edward found himself standing as well.

"We have some things to take care of before tomorrow." James said in his gruff voice and then the two quickly walked out of the tavern, letting Edward to stare after them. He found himself huffing and sitting back down to finish his drink. What a queer pair of men…He supposed they were no odder than Vane though and he wouldn't have to deal with them long anyhow.

* * *

"We can't go on that ship" Mary told Rhona, as they approached the _Ranger_. They were going to be late if that hesitated any longer. But they couldn't get on that ship, they couldn't go. That man, the one that had captured her, was on that ship. If they went, they could get caught and hell knew what that man would do then. He couldn't let things go.

"We have to" Rhona whispered back, as they walked closer and closer. They could see the men moving about on the deck, getting ready to cast off. "We need to get out of Kingston. I just have this feeling in my gut"

"Well tell your gut to knock it the hell off. The only thing this trip is going to get us is knives in our bellies!" Mary hissed at her.

"Stop being dramatic, _Jim_. We'll get on the damn ship and when we get to the first port, we'll jump ship and find a new place to settle for a little while." Rhona had stopped. They were a few feet from the ship and Mary crossed her arms across her chest. Her chest felt strange and flat underneath her shirt. Both she and Rhona were using corsets to flatten their chests. It made it hard to breath. Mary had no idea how they were going to perform their duties as Jack Tars with them on.

She pointed that out to Rhona who rolled her eyes. "We did it before. Both of us did. You're just looking for excuses now" And finally Mary had to give in. Not because she thought Rhona was right but because Charles Vane, the Captain of the ship, appeared above the Jacob's ladder, looming over the two lasses.

"'Oy, lads, you coming or not? Not thinking of taking the cowardly way out, are ya?" He asked. There was a dark menace to his voice and Mary flicked her eyes to Rhona and then she started to the ship, rather grudgingly. They both climbed onto the ship and then Vane put them to work. Mary spotted both the man – Edward? – and the other one who had captured her that night. She knew that second's one was Jack Rackham now. Luck be have it he was the Quartermaster of this 'fine' ship.

They had no desire to be but it was clear that they had no choice. Rhona was right, perhaps she was being a salt for wanting to run. They were gathered on the deck, the lot of them and Vane stood there, looking them all over. She wondered why, but perhaps he was looking for weakness among them. He barked and raved a lot and today was no different, but Mary had no stomach to listen to it. She was scanning his crew for…Shit.

Edward.

There he was, his messy blonde hair pulled back from his face. His eyes looked a little bleary as if he had too much to drink the night before and was still feeling its effects. His eyes met her's though and she quickly dropped her eyes. What if he remembered her face? She and Rhona had both stuffed their cheeks with fat to help them look a little different, a little more male. The problem was, they were women and they had women's faces. The fat in their cheeks helped a little, but she was still nervous that he might catch who she was.

But as they hopped to getting the ship ready to sail, the old nostalgia of sailing came back to her. She had missed this. Skipping onto a ship to hide was nothing like this. Nothing like pulling on the ropes, tying the knots, controlling the sails. Nothing like feeling the salty wind on your face, the warm sun on your skin and seeing the beauty of the world as you sail by. No, nothing could replace this feeling for Mary.

Not even the threat of being discovered mattered right now. She just did her work as if she had never quit. She could see Rhona grinning, watching her as she went through the familiar motions of sailing, as she went through them too. Why did she ever quit the sea? Being a whore had never made her happy but this…This, was worth something to her.

There was nothing like being on the open sea.

* * *

The cannons boomed in her ear and Rhona felt alive. She busied herself with reloading it and soon she was ducking down as it fired again, her fingers shoved in her ears to dim the boom just a little. Already her ears were ringing with the shout of men, the roar of the canons and the pop of guns as they fired. Soon she could see men with their boarding hooks. She moved back as they threw them, hooking them deep into the other ship.

The other ship waved a Spanish Flag and she knew most men on the ship did not speak a lick of Spanish, but despite her background, Rhona did. She spoke it quite fluently in fact so when they had cracked the other ship and had the crew tied up, she approached Vane as he roared at the memebers of the Spanish crew, trying to explain that he was stealing all their things.

"Let me" She told him, a grin on her face. He gave her annoyed look, but waved his hand for her to go ahead. "_Listen up, you scuttled bastards_" She spoke to them in Spanish and eyes snapped up to her frame. She explained to them in their own native tongue that they were taking their things and that as long as they stayed still, none of them would be hurt. She saw their faces pinch but they all stayed very still.

"Where'd you learn to speak, Spanish, lad?" asked Vane afterwards.

"I spent a good few months in Havana. It was sink or swim" She laughed and jumped back to the _Ranger_, her hands filled with the supplies she had scavenged off the ship. She supposed she didn't have to help him, but she already knew Vane was cruel and would probably kill the men if he didn't get his message across to them and there was no reason to just kill men. No good reason anyway.

Despite her rough past, Rhona wasn't bitter like Mary. Despite being older and all too, she was the more cheerful, the more positive of the two. She just believed that, though she had seen some of the worst life had to offer, there was good in the world and it would rise above the bad. Mary seemed to believe that men were the bad. She could only sigh at that thought.

Still, with the take they had from that ship, it seemed they were heading to Nassau. Mary caught her as she came walking from the kitchen, a mug of rum in her hand. She was on a break, getting a bite to eat and catching a nap while she had time. But Mary lead her to a corner of the ship where they had a moment alone and they could talk in low voices.

"Are you sure you want to go to Nassau?" She asked, her arms crossed over her chest. She was biting her cheek. That was a disgusting habit of her's.

"Not like we have much of a choice, do we, Jim?" She asked her friend, rolling her eyes. "We have to go. Its where the ships going, its where we're going."

"We could jump ship"

"Bad idea. That looks bad. It looks like we're hiding something. We go to Nassau and find a new Captain, simple as that" Rhona was being firm in this. She usually let Mary take the lead, but she was too nervous, too jumpy. She couldn't think right. "I'm sure it won't take long to find someone new to take us under their flag…" She would have went on but she heard a voice behind her.

"Aye, I know a few people" She turned and Mary leaned around her and there was Edward. "Sorry, lads, I overheard you talking. I know a few people who might take able boys like you into their crew. I'm in a hurry to get back to the man I usually sail with…if he's at Nassau at the moment" Edward sighed and his blue eyes wandered across the wall of the ship. Neither Rhona or Mary spoke. Rhona wasn't sure if she should. Would Edward know her if she spoke too much to him? Finally his eyes fell back on them and Rhona roused herself. They couldn't stay silent as they were for long, less it seem suspicious to him.

"Edward Thatch, right?" She asked, keeping her voice deep as she was able.

"Aye. He might know a sailor or two that you lads might be able to fall under. You two are quite able" He nodded a little.

"True, we've been sailing for a few years now" Rhona answered. Mary was silent behind her. Last time they talked to Edward, he had been somewhat drunk. Now he was sober and that had them nervous. He stood there a moment, assessing them. Rhona feared they had been caught for a moment but then he smiled.

"Haven't we all?" And then he turned and walked away. Rhona knew she sighed when he was out of earshot and she heard Mary sigh as well. She glanced back at her long-time friend. A small smile touched her lips. When they reached Nassau, they would find a way away from him and find a way back to the lives they had always known.

* * *

A/N: First off I'm so sorry for not publishing sooner. My life exploded into some drama and I just haven't been able to write recently. I'm getting back on track by playing Black Flag again. So expect more chapters soon. Read and review!


	7. The Hooded Man

**VII.  
****The Hooded Man**

Nassau was lively as usual. They were on the deck, pulling the sails back and throwing the anchor down, letting it drag among the rocks deep down below. They eventually came to a stop, and Mary looked out towards the town. She could see a few bonfires burning, though it was still only noon, and there were men and women around the fires, drinking and dancing, having a good time. The sound of music drifted over the sound of waves and gulls calling out. The sun was shining and a sense of peace filled her, despite everything had happened. Mary looked over at Rhona and she smiled too. Eventually, they were able to make their way to the beach, when he ship was set and in shape. They weren't coming back, little did Vane know. They would find someone else to fall under, no longer would they sail under that lout, Vane.

They made their way to the swamp, away from everyone else. Mary climbed into a tree, Rhona after her. Here they sat, looking out over the swamp, unable to hear the sounds of the town and only able to hear the occasional sound of a gator swimming in the water or a rabbit hopping through the bushes. Here was a different sense of peace. Here was a sense of escape. Of grateful loneliness.

"What shall we do, Mary?" Rhona asked. They didn't bother to disguise their voices. There was no one here but them, the gators, the rabbits and maybe an angry boar or two.

"We'll do as we were I guess. Make our way to Havana perhaps. It's large enough and foreign enough that I believe we could lose ourselves there. But…As we were, I wasn't happy Rhona." She didn't have to tell Rhona this. It was clear to her dear friend that Mary disliked being a whore. Rhona didn't like it either, but she accepted what she was and accepted what life had given her.

"You want to remain on the sea" She stated.

"I do"

"We tried that life once, Mary. We both did." Rhona's voice was soft but serious, like a mother trying to talk a child out of a foolish idea. "It didn't work our for neither of us. You husband…"

"I know what he did, Rhona! I was there!" She snapped angrily. She sighed, trying to gain control of her temper. "But he's not here anymore. I never had more joy in my heart than when I was at sea. Doing what we were…that just reminded me of what a failure I was. What a failure I was going on to be. A petty thief and a whore – that's something to be proud of, ain't it?" Her voice was sarcastic and annoyed.

"It's what we had to do to. It's what we've done to survive" Rhona chided. "What else were we supposed to do? If I had gone back to sea right away and gotten caught, they'd have killed me and you…"

"I was a wanted woman." Mary huffed.

"Aye" They were silent.

"I didn't do it" She whispered. She didn't know what else to say. She hadn't. She hadn't done a thing, she had just taken the fall for it. A scapegoat was all she had been. A means to an end.

"Just because I believe you, doesn't mean the King's men will" Rhona whispered back.

Silence fell over the women again and then they heard the sound of voices. A laugh fell across the swamp. The two women glanced at each other and slowly climbed from their tree and made their way to the ground, following the path until they came to the area right outside the swamp. They each found a tree to hide behind and Mary saw Edward, with a man with sideburns and another with black scruff on his chin.

"Ah…seems you've been through the roller and back, Kenway. Making a decent name for yourself at least aren't you?" the one with scruff asked, a grin on his face.

"Scared your protégé is going to disappoint you, eh, Ed?" asked the man with sideburns.

"Scared, he's going to outdo me is more like it" he first man laughed heartily, rocking back on his heels.

"Now, then, Thatch, I doubt that" Mary glanced over at Rhona. Thatch, eh? Edward Thatch then. Who was the other man…? "So are you leaving Charles' services then?"

"Aye, aye. Bloody loon, that one is."

"We all have our moments, Kenway" Sideburns said.

"I have enough "moments" of my own. I don't need his as well"

"Is that it, then?" And then Thatch was laughing again. They began to circle, as if heading for the manor. Rhona began to move around her tree so they wouldn't spot her, when a rabbit shot out of the bush right under foot to her. She jumped back startled, tripped over a large branch that tangled itself over her legs and finally landed squarely on her arse.

"Whose that there?" The three men were quick to react, drawing their pistols. Rhona stood, hands up to show she meant no harm.

"Who are you?" asked Ed, while at the same time Edward asked "Sam?"

"Aye" Rhona answered. She stood, brushing herself off.

"What were you following us for, lad?" the man with the sideburns didn't lower his gun.

"We wasn't following you" Mary stepped out from where she was hiding. Not that she didn't trust Rhona to cover their tracks, but she rather take care of it herself. Plus, if they found out she was hiding later, they'd just see it as more suspicious.

"James" Edward turned to her now. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Why don't you have your friend lower his pistol first?" She motioned to the dark-haired man who hadn't bothered to lower his gun, even yet. Ed Thatch had, but she noted his hand still rest on it. She moved her own hand to her sword. Rhona was running her finger back and forth across the butt of her pistol. The air was tense, waiting to explode at the flicker of a flame.

"Why don't you tell me why you lads were following us first?" The man suggested.

"Ben, lower your gun. These two won't do anything, will you lads?" Thatch spoke.

"We wasn't following you" Mary inputted again. "We was talking in the swamp"

"Talking?" Ben sneered. "About what?"

"Leaving Vane's services. Rather not have him overhear our plans to leave. He's a bloody loon"

"Aye, I think we can all agree with that" Edward said and just like that, the tension seemed drain a little. A chuckle rose from Thatch and even Ben lowered his pistol and smiled, though it seemed a bit sarcastic. Rhona dropped her hands and Mary let her hands on her hips.

"So you two will be looking for work then? Are they able?" Ben was saying, looking towards Edward.

"Aye, Sammy and Jim seem the able sort." Edward answered.

"What are your family names, lads?" Thatch asked. Mary felt a smile lift the corner of her lips, with her and Rhona already deciding on the names they were going to go by. She knew they wouldn't believe it, but that was part of the risk – part of the fun.

"James Kidd and Sam Morgan"

* * *

The Old Avery was alive with conversation tonight. Everyone was talking about Jim and Sammy. Was it true? Were they spinning yarn? The usual loud ruckus that marked the place had died to a quiet murmur between most tables. Some still were drunk enough to not care and instead place their opinion on other "important" issues, but for the most part, heads were low, voices lower and drinks mostly untouched.

"Do you think that yarn they be spinning is true?" asked Thatch. His voice was a low rumble in itself, so far removed from the roar he usually had.

"I don't know, Thatch, but I do know that either way, those lads have balls. Especially James." He wrinkled his nose, contemplating it obviously. Then he turn and spat off the deck. "Either way, I saw we watch them. Who knows if they might try and stir up trouble?"

"Nay, I doubt they will" Edward said, tilting his head slightly. "In fact, they were all too eager to get away from Vane and all the trouble he presented."

"Hell of a Captain, ain't he?" Thatch was grinning now.

"Oh, off to hell with ya!" He leaned over and gave Thatch a shove in the shoulder. Playfully, fondly. He was fond of Thatch, but he was a tricky one.

"Not yet, lad. Not yet. I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve before I ship off to the bottom of the sea" And they shared a laugh. The three of them moved to other topics and would have kept on talking if not for the dead silence that suddenly came over the Old Avery. The three looked up, going silent as well.

There they were, James Kidd and Samuel Morgan, walking as if they owned the sea and the land between. James walked with a confidence reserved only for captains who had survived more than a decade of sea and Sam wasn't much his lesser. Their strides said they knew that they were being talked about and did they care? Hell no.

They walked to a table with four men sitting at it. They weren't men of consequence and quite frankly, Edward thought they might be working for the British. James slammed his hands down on the table, leaning over it and he stared the other men down. The men he was staring weren't small and lean like James himself, no these men were hulking masses of muscle and meat with gnarled faces, wrinkled and melting like candles from the sun and surf they had been exposed to over the years.

"Get" He said one word, and one word only, and Edward expected the men to laugh, but instead the nearest one balked and stood, quickly moving off. The second glared a moment longer and then moved as well, slinking off like dog who had been kicked. His two other friends followed quickly after. Sam and James sat down, leaning in their chairs, at ease, despite every eye being on them.

"Bar wretch! Get two rums. Quick now!" Sam barked, drawing a dagger and cutting ruts into the table. Out of boredom or to warn others away from them, Edward couldn't tell. The bar maid was nearly tripping over herself to get them their drinks. She put them down and stuttered half-form apologizes before fleeing. Hornigold raised an eyebrow.

"They're naturals. Might be true yarn after all" He said out of the corner of his mouth to Thatch, though Edward heard.

"Might. Or they might just be comfortable actin like they're tough shit" Ed didn't wait anymore, he stood, taking his rum, and walked to their table. "Oy, lads, tell me now, honestly; is you really who you says you are?" He asked them, his voice loud enough the tavern could hear.

"As far as I know" James stated, lifting his rum to his lips. He looked up at Ed with dark eyes. "I don't know my pa. Me mum claims that she spent a 'panicked night of passion' with Captain Kidd before he left England"

"And then along came you some months later, am I right?" Ed mussed. "That's quite the tale, but what of you?" he motioned with his cup to Sam.

"My ma visited the islands in her youth, met a young man, fell in love but returned home at the bidding of her elder brother." He sighed, leaning back in his chair, digging his knife into the table. "Found out she brought more than a few memories home" And he grinned.

"Ah ha!" He laughed, leaning his head back. "You lads are a bit more amusing than the usual rut we get around these parts. Tell me now though, how comes I haven't heard of your ilk before today?"

"Keep your head down and your mouth shut is what my mum always told me. I didn't go by my pa's name until I sailed here. Now seems the best time to lift my head and open my mouth. Best watch it, sir, you may find I have more teeth than a shark" Kidd said, a smile forming on his lips. The smile was all teeth, clearly a warning.

The tavern went silent. Threatening Thatch was a foolish thing to do. No one knew what he was going to do to the lad; kill him? Laugh?

Instead he smiled. "Aye, lad. You be swimming with sharks. Don't forget that" And then he turned around and walked back to their table. He was still smiling, but Edward couldn't understand why. He must have understood Edward's quizzical look because his smile widened. He didn't answer, only laughed. Hornigold raised an eyebrow as well, but it was clear, Thatch wasn't explaining himself to no one.

* * *

Rhona was having fun. Mary was bold in a way that women shouldn't be, yet they thought her a man and many found it amusing. After her bold statement to Thatch, it was clear that the two were accepted, the others believe their surname or not. Rums were drank, laughter was loud and a few bold women approached them, asking if they needed help relaxing. Mary and Rhona both turned them away, for obvious reasons, but those were obviously not going to be discussed here.

But Rhona was having a good time, at least for now. That was when she saw the hooded man in the crowd. He wasn't the same as the men she had seen in Kingston, but it was clear that he was in their group. The way he carried himself, the way he wore his hood…it was very clear to Rhona that he was among them. She leaned across the table, slapping Mary's arm. She looked up, her brown eyes flashing. She had already had a few drinks – she was a mean drunk. She wasn't drunk yet but well on her way.

"Look" She hissed.

Mary looked and she saw, her mouth popping open. "Bloody hell, we can't get away from this grog blossoms can we? They're almost as bad as Kenway" They had been trying to escape him how long? And here he was yet! But Rhona didn't have time to think about him. She saw Mary rising to follow the man as he headed out of the tavern, his hands stuffed into pockets.

"Where are you going, lad?" Roared one of the men over the commotion.

"To take a piss" She answered boldly and Rhona found herself standing too. "Where you off to Sammy?"

"I…I had a bit too much to drink. Methinks it'd be best if I head back to my lodgings for the night and sleep this off. Less I have a head for ten tomorrow" Then Rhona was down the steps and away. She saw Mary watching her, but she paid no mind, stumbling into an alley and then turning the corner, returning to a regular walk. Mary met up with her the next alley over and together they watched the man walk through the thick Nassau crowds. It was early night yet and the debauchery had yet to reach full swing.

He walked through the crowd and then turned sharply into another alley. The two women followed at a distance, that was until Rhona heard the distinct sound of a blade being pulled from a body. The squishy, squirming sound was one she knew well. They glanced at each other and hurried, finding no one but a fresh corpse. They were a little out of the way, behind one of the many taverns and no one was out here, not yet. This place wouldn't be used until a man needed a whore right away.

Mary knelt by the body and found him laying face down, a bloody hole in the back of his neck, right on his spine. She dug through his pockets and Rhona crossed her arms. She hated touching bodies when they were still warm. It was creepy, as if they were still alive and would wake up to see what you were doing at any moment.

"What's this?" She was speaking to herself but Rhona leaned forward and saw she had a piece of paper in her hand. She didn't get a chance to open it though because someone was laughing and that sound was getting louder. Both women cursed lightly and straightened.

By the time the drunken sailor and the whore came around the corner, the two women were long gone and already on their way to find out what information that letter might contain.

* * *

A/N: And after a long break...I'm back with a short chapter. Sorry! My life kind of change recently and I haven't had time to publish any chapters. I've barely gotten this one done. Well, I hope that I'm able to change that soon. Don't worry I still have lot of plans for this story and I'll be working hard on it! Leave some reviews and let me know what you think!


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